Lord of Castle Gray
by blended colorz
Summary: This is the story of life, and the bonds of friendship. Of learning to trust with a bruised heart. This is the story of Zoicite and Kunzite the love that saved a kingdom and themselves.


A child's cry is heard throughout the room. A woman with long light brown almost blonde hair rushed into the dark bedroom. Her dark blue eyes flashed in accord with the lightning playing outside her window, thunder sounded with each footstep she took. It sounded like the pounding of many drums in her ears, over and over. Worry etched itself into every outline on her face. She had the look of a woman who had seen much and gained very little.

Reaching her young sons bed she stooped down to cradle the tiny life to her breast. Crooning words her mother had sung to her on nights such as this. Such a fragile life she held within her very arms. His tiny heartbeat pulsed rhythmically against her chest. The beat comforting to her own fears even as she tried to sooth the child's.

It had been a year sense his father had left to join the front lines. A year and still no word whether he lived or... No she would not think of the other possibility not while breath still left her body. It was not the way of a wife of a Lord of Earth to just accept what others pushed her to believe and it certainly was not the way of a Princess of Mercury.

A small whimper caught her attention once again as she looked down at her son barely six years old, and caught in the throes of some nightmare that refused to relinquish it's hold on him. The priests assured her it would pass this trouble with nightmares. He would not be tormented thus for all his life by the nameless shadows of his mind. But she could not help but be scared for him. What horrible thing did he witness that affects him so, or perhaps what will he witness in the future?

"Mother?" A small voice whimpered.

The Lady smiled tenderly at her little son reaching down to run a motherly hand over his forehead brushing a strand of unruly brown hair out of his face. He was quite beautiful and would no doubt break many hearts in his day both Lord and Lady. His hair the exact same shade as hers and equally as untamable as hers had been as a child. But his eyes they were a startling green color, like the purest pools of Jade kissed around the edges with a slight halo of gold. Just like his father's eyes. Her little Zoicite.

"Yes dear heart?"

"My heart hurts."

"Your heart hurts little one? Perhaps you have had too much fun today with your friends?"

"No mother it hurts like someone is breaking it. Please make the hurt go away! Please!"

Tears rolled down her cheeks like the rain falling heavily outside as her son pleaded with her. Begged her to stop his pain. And no matter how much she wanted to she was powerless to do anything but rock him and offer whatever physical comfort that would help him. A parent's worst fear, seeing their child hurting and not knowing why or how to stop it. Suddenly his sobs stopped as did the rain, lightning flashed and she held her breath waiting for the big boom that would follow.

"Mommy who's that man?"

And the thunder crashed as she turned to stare in horror at the doorway Zoicite clutched tightly to her. A man with dark red hair stood leaning against the doorframe a wicked smirk adorning his face. He cut a striking figure, muscled shoulders held up wicked black armor, and thickly built thighs with skin tight black pants, a long blood red cape draped over one half of his body.

"Lord Dresmont. You startled me. Tell me my Lord what brings you here to my home at such a late hour?"

"Ah Lady Cassandra you must forgive my rather abrupt arrival but I have a matter of grave importance to impart upon you. I come from the battle but newly one with tidings of great sorrow for you and your son."

Lady Cassandra stifled a choked sob as she gripped her confused son in a vice like hold, drawing what possible comfort it offered her grieving heart. The Lord Dresmont sighed pityingly as he gazed at the obviously broken women before him. A wicked glint sparking briefly in his eyes. It would be all too easy to manipulate her. After years of watching waiting she would be his, and her son well he would be dealt with soon enough, in a manner that not even the most skilled would be able to trace back to him.

"You speak in r-riddles my Lord. Please tell me of my husband!" She choked out with a slight sob.

"It saddens me greatly to tell you this my Lady but Lord Elion perished in the heat of battle."

He watched as the beautiful woman before him collapsed into a heap on the cold floor. Her body racked with silent sobs, her breath coming in uneven gasps. And he delighted in it, reveled even in her pain. Just as he reveled in her husbands. This family deserved no less. How dare Elion, his best friend claim he would always be faithful to their friendship and yet knowingly marry the one woman he had ever considered good enough to consent to marry. And she accept him with love! She would regret the day she ever met Lord Elion of Earth and had his child.

"No mother he is lying!"

The child cried wrenching himself away from his mother to stare accusingly at Dresmont. Lady Cassandra looked up at once her eyes blazing, taking the word of her child as truth unconditionally. Enraged Dresmont stalked forward grabbing the boy by his long hair and yanking hard causing him to loose balance and fall over.

"You vile fiend unhand my son! You have no right to touch him so!"

"I have every right to touch him so! He should have been mine! Do you here?!"

"You lied my husband did not die in battle did he?"

"Oh no Cassandra, Elion did die in battle, a battle with me to be precise. And now you are mine."

"Never! I refuse! You shall not have me."

He frowned bored with this silly game already. She belonged to him she had no other future. Her husband dead she was virtually powerless to stop him taking over his lands. But if she really insisted on refusing. It would be much more fun for him this way after all.

"Then you will die." Dresmont said simply his eyes boring into hers.

Drawing his sword he stalked forward his muscles rippling. The Lady Cassandra seeing he intended to kill her backed fearfully away. She was aware of what would happen to her. None of the servants would even come here till well into the morning and by that time it would be too late. Clenching her eyes shut she waited for the blow that would take her to her Elion but none came. Opening her eyes slightly confused she watched as her son, her terribly brave and beautiful son launched himself at Lord Dresmont, biting and clawing at his legs.

"Zoicite!"

Growling he attempted to shake the child off of his person but the boy had no intention of letting go. Viciously he rammed him into the wall where upon he let go sliding to the floor in a dazed heap. There he lay panting heavily and crying as the world spun hazily in front of him. Dresmont advanced on him glaring darkly. This boy had lived to long the life that should have been meant for a child of his loins. The crime of just being alive irreversible in Dresmonts eyes. An anguished wail rose up in the air of the room. As Dresmont swung his blade in a deadly arc a mother performed one last desperate bid to save the life of her only child, her world. Throwing herself atop her son Lady Cassandra impaled herself upon the same sword that killed her husband. Though this she was to never know. Limply her body fell to the floor the last words she ever spoke to her son ringing in the still air.

"Always stay beautiful my son."

* * *

"Tell me again why we have to visit Castle Gray my prince?"

Four figures rode on horseback through the surrounding woods. They each wore the armor of a soldier and carried long swords with deadly gleaming blades. Any bandits would think twice before approaching them. The man in the lead was tall and well built. His hair the purest of blacks, face handsome and regal. But what really drew most attention were his eyes, a stunning blue only common among the royal line of earth. This man was the Prince Endymion heir to the thrown of Earth.

"Because Jeditie we must be sure of what few remaining Lords from my father's time are loyal to us. And this means visiting them once and awhile."

With an aggravated sigh he turned to evaluate his three guardians. Kunzite the oldest of them rode quietly next to him seeming for the entire world as if he was not listening but keeping an ear to it all the same. He was very handsome with hair white in hue and a very aristocratic face. Nephrite who was the same age as the prince watched Jeditie and Endymion bicker back and forth. He was equally as handsome as Kunzite with hair an auburn color that always seemed to shine. And Jedidite the youngest and most impatient rode beside him his blonde hair cut short and brushed out of his face.

"Still I fail to see why you would wish to visit Castle Gray at all. We could simply continue riding till we reached the palace in but a day or two. Why do you wish to stop at a place such as this?"

"As much as I hate to admit this Jeditie is right Prince you hate the Lord Damascus so why do you wish to stay in his home?"

"I simply feel we must."

"What?"

"Exactly as I said Kunzite something is telling me I must spend the night in Castle Gray, there is something important there I must find."

"And you are aware of the dangers of following a simple feeling my Prince?"

"Yes."

"Then we have no choice but to follow you."

Endymion smiled grimly flicking the reigns of his horse to start it forward again. Castle Gray loomed darkly above them a silent sentinel keeping watch over the land. Lord Damascus ruled those inside the walls and in the surrounding village with an iron fist. One of the few Lords who still held slaves and it was rumored treated them horribly. Yet he had not always held lordship over these lands.

Endymion himself had met Castle Gray's departed Lord as a child. Lord Elion distantly related to his father, had been a good man much loved by the people. News of his death saddened all but none more so then his wife the beautiful Lady Cassandra sister to the King of Mercury. In her grief she had been inconsolable. Her servants thinking it would be best to send the grieving Lady to stay with a friend put herself and her young son into a carriage and sent them to a neighboring castle. With a sparse guard, none had expected the tragedy that would then strike. Bandits attacked the carriage killing all. It was Lord Dresmont brother of Lord Damascus who found the bodies of Lady Cassandra and her son Zoicite.

The king, his father granted Lord Dresmont lordship over his friends lands and subjects feeling it would be what the Lord Elion would have wanted. The two had been as brothers to each other. Lord Dresmont found himself unable to stay in the castle of his late 'brother' so instead he gave temporary lordship of Gray Castle to his younger half brother the Lord Damascus.

"Open the gates for the crown prince!"

The large wooden gates slowly creaked open giving them leave to enter under the arch into the tiny town nestled at the base of Castle Gray. Peasants and soldiers mild about all stopping to stare in awe at the four men dismounting from their steeds handing the reigns to two small stable boys. The houses were little more then shacks Endymion realized horrified at the living conditions of these people. Children stood watching starved and with little clothes, seeming to wilt in the wind.

"Prince Endymion what a surprise! It's simply marvelous to see you!"

Endymion winced at the sickeningly false praise coming from the Lord of Gray Castle. Lord Damascus was a man of very little praise. His sparse gray hair made him look older then his age of 31, indeed most thought him to be ages older then that. He was short and had quite a full belly from to many years of living in comfort off his subjects already meager earnings. But most of all he was a cruel man who had no qualms with stabbing someone in the back for power. Lord Damascus was always hungry for power. This attitude had earned him the name Lord Pot Belly back in court at Atlantis, a fact he was no doubt aware of.

"Lord Damascus."

Endymion intoned bowing his head respectfully feigning pleasure as the man took his hand in his own fat one and kissed the air above it, a common sign of respect among members of the court.

"Please pardon our interruption my Lord but we are on our way back to the palace and hoped to stop here and rest for the night. I hope this isn't too much of an imposition?"

"No, no of course not my prince! My staff and I would be delighted to have you. Come this way, your men are no doubt tired and wish to relax. My servants will show them to available rooms."

The short man bounced off glee excreting from every pore at the chance to corrupt the young prince. Such allies in court would be much to his advantage.

"Prince-"

"I'll be fine Kunzite. Damascus is a silly man nothing more. Go, rest and I will find you later before the evening meal."

At Endymion's dismissal Kunzite turned to the small girl standing before them glaring at her shaking form violently. He was disgusted she was so afraid of him.

"Well girl?"

"R-right th-this way masters." She curtsied turning to lead them through the village.

It took them the better part of twenty minutes to walk threw the whole town and reach the castle. Castle Gray was not overly large, nothing like the castle at Atlantis their home. It was shaped like a square with a guard tower along the wall at every corner. And looming up in the middle was a square building crowned at the top. The family crest of Lord Damascus hung everywhere. The castle was however made of a strange gray stone that seemed to sparkle no matter which way you looked at it. Yet still something about it made him feel ill at ease. It was almost a whisper, a feeling, the castle was crying.

They were brought to a small side door leading off from the soldiers barracks and up a long winding flight of stairs till they reached a door. Hesitantly the girl made to open the door but stopped unsurely. Seeing this Kunzite growled impatiently and stalked past her to push open the door himself. Stepping through he found himself standing in a small armory clearly used by the castles meager amount of soldiers he sneered in disgust. A shout from the right suddenly came and gripping his sword he spun towards it.

A boy no older then seventeen years was crushed up against a wall a soldier kissing him demandingly hands running up and down the boy's body in a very untoward manner. The boy clearly a slave by his plain and rather small amount of clothing was fighting his attacker in attempts to get away. But this only seemed to enrage the man more or amuse him as the continued movements sent jolts of pleasure to his groin.

"What is this, release him!" Nephrite cried disgusted with the poor treatment as he joined Kunzite in stalking toward the two.

Scowling in annoyance the man pulled away slightly from the boy and growled angrily at them.

"And what business is it of yours what I do to this slave? He deserves it walking around like he's so beautiful! All high and mighty I'll put him in his place!"

"You have no right to force yourself on him now get off him!" Kunzite hissed eyes glowing in anger.

"He's a slave; he's the one that has no rights! And who are you to tell me I can not take him?"

"We are the Prince Endymion's Generals fool! Release him to me at once or your master will know how you dared to insult the Prince's honor."

"I didn't insult no ones honor! Slaves have no honor and are only here for our pleasure."

"You insult the Princes honor by daring to commit such a heinous crime in such close proximity of him!" Jeditie explained eyes busy trying not to look at the poor thing in the mans grasp.

"Well he's mine! I just bought him for seven gold pieces; he's mine to do with what I like!"

Growling Kunzite punched the man full in the stomach. Gasping and crying the man fell over clutching himself. Sneering in open dislike Kunzite threw a purse of money at his feet.

"There now I've paid you the seven gold pieces you spent plus twenty more, he belongs to me now."

Realization dawned on him that he now owned another human being and slowly he turned to face the boy. Long copper blonde hair fell to his shoulders in ringlets framing the most beautifully breathtaking face he had ever seen. Small shoulders were covered by a thin green night shirt and hung just barely over his brown leggings. He was unbearably skinny. But his eyes were what caught most of his attention. His eyes were the most amazing he'd ever seen. A deep jade green and outlined by gold.


End file.
